What's the Difference Between Backup and Restore and File History?

I've been going through the various backup options for Windows, and I noticed Backup and Restore and File History. They seem to have the same purpose in mind. Is that true? What's the difference between these two?

Best Answered by

Jane Zhou· Answered on Oct 18, 2023

Both Windows Backup and Restore and File History can back up your files. But they each serve a different purpose:

Backup and Restore: It's usually used for a long-term backup of files that don't frequently change, like music and movie libraries. The way Backup and Restore backup data is similar to the system image backups. They are destructive and are stored in a container that can be accessed with the Backup and Restore GUI. And that means you will only have a single copy of the file backed up that will be the most recently backed up version. They appear to be the best media for backing up data.

File History: It is mainly used to keep multiple copies of files that are subject to frequent revision, like databases, term papers, and game save files. Unlike Backup and Restore, it is not destructive. It simply makes copies of the original files from the source to the destination with a time stamp added to the filename. In time, you can find that you have many copies of the same file at different stages. It seems better suited for a Winchester Hard Disk Drive, either Internal or External.

Whether File History or Backup Restore, they also only provide basic and limited backup features. For some advanced tools, like incremental and differential backup, scheduled backup, and encrypted backup, both of them cannot make it. If you have these backup needs, you can take a look at EaseUS Todo Backup. This software can do what the built-in backup apps (Backup and Restore & File History) do and other advanced backup work.

Related Article: An Ultimate Guide: How to Use Backup and Restore in Windows 7/10

Download EaseUS Todo Backup to Protect Computer Data!

Find best solutions to computer backup, cloud storage, data security, and disk cloning with full guidance.

People Also Ask

Is There a Backup and Restore Games Option on the Deck?

Do you wish to backup your downloaded Steam games to an external storage device and subsequently restore them to your Steam Deck? This brief response will give you an effective solution.

Larissa

Nov 17, 2023

Will a Windows 7 Backup Work To Restore After I Have Installed Windows 10?

Are you wondering if a Windows 7 Backup and Restore works to restore after installing Windows 10? No worries, this guide will give you an answer.

Larissa

Nov 17, 2023

What Items Will Not Be Backup in a Windows Backup?

What items will not be backed up in a Windows backup? If you want to find the answer, you have come to the right place. Here, you will find the information as well as excellent backup software that helps you create backups for almost anything!

Jane Zhou

Nov 17, 2023

Does Windows 10 Do a Full Backup?

Want to know if your Windows 10 system can do a full backup? Read this post and find your answer here. It will give you an answer, and a how-to guide.

Larissa

Nov 17, 2023

Why Is My Windows 10 Backup Disabled?

Backup and Restore is a built-in backup program in Windows. It can be used to build system images and backup files. However, this utility is occasionally automatically disabled. Are you perplexed as to why this occurred? Don't worry; this page discusses the particular reasons for this and offers better alternatives for saving your data safely.

Larissa

Nov 17, 2023

How Long Are File History Backups Retained by Default?🔥

This post will tell you how long the File History backups are retained by default and introduce you to an alternative to satisfy your needs better.

Larissa

Nov 17, 2023